Necktie knot forming and support device



H. KANTER ET AL NECKTIE KNOT FORMING AND SUPPORT DEVICE Filed April 25,1966 Aug. 22, 1967 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M INVENTORS BY flQfii 1 /41 v/CZATTORNEY Aug. 22, 1967 KANTER ET AL 3,336,601

NECKTIE KNOT FORMING AND SUPPORT DEVICE Filed April 25, 1966 2Sheets-Sheet United States Patent 3,336,601 NECKTIE KNOT FORMING ANDSUPPORT DEVICE Harry Kanter 535 E. 86th St., New York, N.Y. 10028,

and Robert Kallman, 612 Forest Hills Drive, Wilmington, N.C. 28401 FiledApr. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 551,825 6 Claims. (Cl. 2-153) This inventionrelates to neckwear and more particularly to neckties of the pretiedtype provided with clip or clamp means on a knot-forming member forreleasably attaching the necktie to a collar neckband.

The general arrangement of such pretied neckties is described in US.Patent Nos. 2,798,226, 3,220,015, and 3,237,208.

In this application we disclose a forming member of novel construction,provided with a spring plate and clamp arm essentially as shown in ourPatent No. 3,237,208. However, we have markedly improved the knotsecuring means in that we provide a bendable arm having a sharplytoothed free end or head which can be simply bent over after the knot isformed and which maintains the knot as tied and firmly against theforming member.

The invention will be further understood from the following descriptionand drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side view showing, in partly broken away form,the finished pretied necktie as it is worn;

FIGURE 2 is a rear perspective view of the finished knot portion withthe clamp arm in the raised and open position;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the knot forming body' memberembodying the present invention and about which the necktie is knottedand supported;

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevational view thereof;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view thereof with the clamp arm in theopen position;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view thereof;

FIGURE 7 is an exploded perspective view of the knot forming bodymember;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary plan view of a necktie advantageously employedwith the improved device.

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged side sectional view of the finished pretiednecktie as it is worn.

- In the drawings, which illustrate a preferred form of the invention,the reference numeral 10 generally designates the pretied or preknottedtie which is illustrated as attached to the band 11 of a shirt collar 12on a wearer W. The knot K of the tie 10 is supported and releasablyattached to the neckband 11 by a tie or knot forming and support device13 constructed according to the instant invention. The device comprisesa winged knot forming and body member 14, a spring plate 16, and a clamparm 17, an exploded view of these elements being shown in FIGURE 7.

In the exploded view of FIGURE 7, the knot forming and support device ismade up of body member 14 which is advantageously of a molded, somewhatresilient plastic material like polyethylene or indeed of anyconventional material whether metal or pressed fiber board. It is ofapproximately triangular configuration with a bottom, medially located,downwardly rear-wardly inclined apex section 18 and a pair of laterallyextending rearwardly directed wings 19 symmetrical to the verticalmedial axis of the body member 14. The side edges 20 of member 14converge downwardly to the apex 18.

A front wall 21 bridges the wings 19. On both defining sides of wall 21are wedge sections 22 which project forwardly from wall 21 at their topends and which taper downwardly and inwardly toward apex 18. As aresult,

wedge sections 22 define and form between themselves a forward chamberor rabbet 23 which serves to receive and seat the inner leg of springplate 16 as will be hereinafter explained. An anchoring aperture 24 isformed in the apex section 18.

Spring plate 16 is formed of resilient sheet metal. and is disposedwholly forwardly of wings 19. The bottom of plate 16 is tapered to adownwardly rearwardly inclined apex section 25 which overlies the frontface of apex 18 and is provided with a registering aperture 26. Plate 16is secured to body member 14 by a hollow rivet 27 which registers withthe apertures 24 and 26.

The upper part of the plate 16 is provided with a pair of laterallyspaced vertical slits which divide the plate upper section into a pairof laterally spaced vertical, resilient outer legs 30, and a central orinner resilient leg 31 intermediate the legs 30, the central leg 31being seated in forward chamber 23 and flatly abutting the front wall21. Leg 31 is formed at its upper, free end, with a forwardly facingconcave knuckle 32. On the other hand, legs 30 are formed at theirupper, free ends with rearwardly facing concave knuckles 33.

Swingably supported by the knuckles 32 and 33, and cooperating with thebody member 14 to create a fastening device is the clamp arm' 17comprising angularly related upper and lower legs 35 and 36respectively, joined by an integrally formed crotch section 37 wherebythe clamp arm 17 is rearwardly bowed in the closed position of thedevice. It is preferred that the included angle between the legs 35 and36 should be about and that the crotch 37 be spaced from the bridgingfront wall 31 in the closed position of the clamp arm about .375 inch,thus producing a well bowed construction of the clamp arm.

The arrangement for swingably supporting the clamp arm 17 andalternatively urging it to its open and closed positions includes arectangular cross-bar 40 which is engaged between the opposite facingknuckles 32 and 33. The cross-bar 40 is formed at the end of a short,arcuate leg 41 which projects from the upper end of leg 35. The clamparm lower leg 36 terminates in a finger piece defining rounded bottomleg 42 which is at the level of the apex 1-8 when the clamp arm is inits closed position. The action of the knuckles 32 and 33 on the edgesof the cross-bar 40 urges the clamp arm 17 alternatively to its open orclosed position.

The side edges 20 of body member 14 are concave or bowed as illustratedin FIGURE 7. An advantage thereof is that the sides of the finished knotK are softer to the touch, thereby being more comfortable to the wearerand also having a more pleasingly draped appearance.

A most important aspect of this invention is the securing arm 45 whichis secured to and outwardly of apex 25 by means of rivet 27 whichpenetrates through top opening 46 of arm 45.

FIGURES 3-5 show the extended position of arm 45 before it is used tosecure the knotted tie in place. Arm 45 is of a bendable metal whetherof brass or thin sheet steel of about .025" thickness. Its lower, freeend is formed with a concavo-convex head or crown 47 having inwardlydirected sharp teeth.48.

The invention is practiced as follows: First, a tie T, generally shorterthan a conventional tie, i.e. about 35 inches, is laced about the bodymember 14 to form the knot K in the well understood manner. As is wellknown, the tie T is advantageously, although not necessarily, providedwith apertures 50 and 51 spaced about 4 inches apart, along whatcorresponds to the upper rear edge of the knot forming section 52thereof to facilitate the knotting of the tie T on the body member 14without impeding the locking assembly in any way. Briefly, and in orderto set forth herein the latest developments in the tying procedure, theclamp arm 17 is first inserted through aperture 51 to better stabilizethe parts during the tying operation, the narrower end of the tie thenextending downwardly along the front of the body member 14. The widerend is draped across a wing top edge, then brought around the front ofthe Wings 19 so as to substantially encase one wing in a loop, anotherloop then being formed to encase the other wing while the clamp arm isinserted through the aperture 50. The ends are then pulled to tightenthe knot. As above stated, this procedure is well known.

Thereafter the arm 45 is manually bent upwardly and pressed into theU-shaped position as shown in FIGURES 2 and 9 so as to intersecure theoverlapping rear edges of the knot.

It will be observed that the knot K includes a pair of angularly relatedoverlapping section 54 and 56 which form the rear face of the bodymember 14. The inner edges of the overlapping sections 54 and 56intersect at a point directly above the position of head 47 when it ispressed inwardly to its fastening position.

The pretied necktie is attached to the collar by opening the clamp arm17, inserting it behind the neckband, and snapping it to its lockedposition to embrace the neckband between the arm head 47 and the legsection or finger piece 42.

This invention includes the particular formation of apex 18 of member14. Thus, apex 18 is considerably thicker than wings 19 or front wall21. For example, the thickness of wings 19 or front wall 21 may be of aninch, while the thickness of apex 18 is W of an inch. Apex 18 is tiltedrearwardly as illustrated in FIGURE 5. Thus the apex 18 serves as a rearspacer which helps tilt the knot K forwardly as illustrated in FIGURE 9.

The provision of bendable arm 45 is most important to this invention.Thus, when the elongated arm 45 is in its downward, extended position,it offers no impediment or hindrance when the tie is being knotted aboutmember 14. Then, when the knot is completed, the operator simply bendsarm 45 to its U-shaped fastening position, and of course requiring nostitching. The out of the Way disposition of bendable arm 45 during thetying of the knot is of great benefit and conserves labor time.

We have shown a preferred embodiment of this invention, but it isunderstood that numerous changes and omissions may be made withoutdeparting from its spirit.

What is claimed is:

1. A knot forming and support device adapted to have a necktie knottedthereabout, said device comprising an elongated body member around whichthe necktie is knotted, a spring clamp member connected to said bodymember, and an elongated securing arm connected to said body member,said spring clamp member being pivotally connected at its upper end tosaid body member and its lower end being free, said securing armextending downwardly from said body member and being bendableintermediate its length whereby it may be bent into U-shape to securethe necktie knot to said body member.

2. A knot forming and support device according to claim 1 and whereinsaid securing arm is formed of manually bendable metal and normallyextends downwardly from said body member in substantially elongatedposition whereby the necktie may be knotted around said body member withminimum hindrance from said securing arm, and the lower end of saidsecuring arm being bendable upwardly to form said securing arm intoU-shape so as to secure the knot to said body member.

3. A knot forming and support device according to claim 2 and includinga toothed head on the lower, free end of said securing arm adapted topenetrate the knot and firmly secure it to said body member, and saidhead being of concavo-convex formation.

4. A knot forming and support device according to claim 1 and whereinsaid body member comprises a pair of laterally extending, rearwardlydirected Wing members, a bridge section connecting said wing members,and an apex section under and integral with said bridge section, saidapex section being of a thickness greater than that of said wing membersand being adapted to receive a shirt neckband between it and the lowerfree end of said spring clamp member, whereby the thickness of said apexsection tends to tilt the necktie upwardly on the wearer.

5. A knot forming and support device according to claim 4 and whereinsaid apex section is tilted rearwardly so as to augment the tiltingeffect on the wearer.

6. A knot forming and support device according to claim 1 and includinga necktie knotted about said body member, said necktie includingrearward overlapping sections, said securing arm depending downwardlyfrom said body member and being of itself in U-shape and having a freeend pressing against and securing said overlapping sections in positionon said body member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,603,885 10/1926 Van Dyk 21531,636,368 7/1927 Johnson 2-153 2,798,226 7/ 1957 Kanter 2153 3,220,01511/1965 Kanter et al. 2-153 3,222,684 12/1965 Kanter et al 2-1533,237,208 3/1966 Kanter et al. 2-153 PATRICK D. LAWSON, PrimaryExaminer.

1. A KNOT FORMING AND SUPPORT DEVICE ADAPTED TO HAVE A NECKTIE KNOTTEDTHEREABOUT, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY MEMBER AROUND WHICHTHE NECKTIE IS KNOTTED, A SPRING CLAMP MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID BODYMEMBER, AND AN ELONGATED SECURING ARM CONNECTED TO SAID BODY MEMBER,SAID SPRING CLAMP MEMBER BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ITS UPPER END TOSAID BODY MEMBER AND ITS LOWER END BEING FREE, SAID SECURING ARMEXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID BODY MEMBER AND BEING BENDABLEINTERMEDIATE ITS LENGTH WHEREBY IT MAY BE BENT INTO U-SHAPE TO SECURETHE NECKTIE KNOT TO SAID BODY MEMBER.